April Fool's Day

Google’s Hilarious April Fools Jokes Through The Years (GOOG) – San Francisco Chronicle

google conversations It’s March 31, which means tomorrow, we’ll brace ourselves again for our yearly dose of Google April Fools pranks.

Since 2000, Google has published one or more gags each year, according to Wikipedia, except for two years — 2001 and 2003.

More recently, Google has taken the tradition to another level; the company staged 17 gags last year and in 2009.

Many of them have even been funny!

2000: MentalPlex, Google search for your brainwaves

Google’s “MentalPlex” search technology scanned your brainwave activity, browser history, current weather conditions, and mouse movement speed to figure out what Web site you were trying to get to.

Via Wikipedia

2002: Pigeon-based ranking

Google unveils the real way its pages are ranked: “the superior trainability of the domestic pigeon.”

Google says it gets its pigeons the old fashioned way — off the street — and insists that it’s not cruel to animals. Like Google’s famous employee perks — meals and snacks of all varieties — its pigeons get “delectable seeds and grains and feature the finest in European statuary for roosting.”

Via Wikipedia

2004: Job offerings on the moon

Google advertises fictitious job openings on the moon at the Google Copernicus Hosting Environment and Experiment in Search Engineering (G.C.H.E.E.S.E.)

“This unique opportunity is available only to highly-qualified individuals who are willing to relocate for an extended period of time, are in top physical condition and are capable of surviving with limited access to such modern conveniences as soy low-fat lattes, The Sopranos and a steady supply of oxygen.”

Via Wikipedia

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